Convicted, they penned them and for humanity:
poems, proverbs and stories, short and sharp—
that were rare, riotous, relevant ,true-life, probing,
compelling, creative, uncompromising and fearless.
Their bravery and brevity jarred readers out
of slumber and political pollutions and follies
that dismally sought to link gallant King Lobengula
with a mythical sugar deal, a tired mgodoyi narrative
and lie peddled by colonialists and gukurahundists.
The diverse readers
were dared into being discerning, diligent,
selfless, self-reflective, empathic, perceptive ,
assertive, positive, humble and honest;
they were roused to detect fallacy from facts,
to espouse maxims of self-love and self- esteem.
They wrote stout stanzas and stories
about values, victims and shameless villains
that let the readers and specialists appreciate
and identify a people’s trajectories, victories,
history, heritage, battles, pains ,plight and prayers.
Their works motivated readers to reflect
on their lives, values, friends, fiends and frailties,
they lamented conflicts and wars, spite and bigotry,
those tales were a bold mirror held up to our present life.Â
